Here it is... the last chapter.
It's so weird for me to actually say that... I really wrote ten whole chapters. I should get an award. Or at least some cookies. Oh look. Someone left a plate of them right here.
*munch* *munch* *munch*
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Jack was awoken by a hand lightly smacking his face.
Slowly opening his eyes, he grunted and ignored it, trying to fall back asleep. The hand brushed his face again and his eyes opened fully to blink in confusion.
First of all, whose hand was touching him?
He had a brief moment of panic. He knew that one of his hands was pinned underneath him and the other was holding something soft. Someone was touching him. Had someone broken into his house? Was he being molested in his sleep?
Then it all came back. The assistant position. The library. The bar. The store. The arcade. The pumpkin patch.
Sally.
Somehow in their slumber the two had ended up intertwined in an odd pretzel of limbs. Sally's hand was looped underneath his armpit and was scratching his face lazily. Her face was mere inches from his and he blushed from the close proximity. She had an odd way of snoring. She took a deep inhale through her nose and let out the air through her mouth in little puffs. It was kind of adorable.
His right leg was under hers. Her left arm was across his chest. Jack was confused as to why he was grabbing something soft, though. He followed his arm as it went under her back to come back up and finally come to her chest where his hand was cupping...
… her left breast.
His face sizzled red hot with embarrassment and he gave a little yelp as he let go. He scrambled to get away and smacked his head on the coffee table in his struggle.
"Ow, Dammit!" he cursed loudly.
He rubbed his sore head as Sally gave a noise of discontent and rolled over. She didn't wake up, but was visibly unhappy that her source of warmth was gone. Jack briefly considered rejoining her, but he needed an aspirin.
He was about to walk into the kitchen when he noticed a stack of papers strewn across the floor. Trotting over to them silently, he picked one of them up and examined it. It was tax paperwork.
With a gasp of horror, Jack remembered. The papers were due today.
He quickly looked at his watch. It was 5:45. he had slept for an hour and fifteen minutes. Which meant that they had exactly fifteen minutes to get to the IRS office.
Jack just stood there, mouth agape, for about a minute.
Then he sprung into action.
"Sally!" he screamed as he began desperately sweeping the papers into a pile.
She awoke with a start and flailed about, hitting her head on the coffee table.
"Gaaahhh- the pain!" she screamed.
"No time for that, help me pick these up, we've only got about thirteen minutes left!"
Her eyes widened and she stopped petting her aching skull. She began scooping up papers into her arms, until they had gathered them all. Jack checked to make sure they were all there, and then they sprinted through the door at full speed.
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They ran down the street, arms full of crumpled papers and causing passerby to look on with curiosity.
It must have been an odd sight, seeing a skeletal man in a ragged suit and a tiny girl with a monster sweater running at top speed through the middle of the road. Jack and Sally didn't slow down.
They weaved through people as they ran, occasionally dodging cars and strollers. At one point Jack even vaulted a hot dog cart.
Sally turned to Jack as she jumped over a bench. "How much longer do we have?" she wheezed.
He was in an much worse state then she was. His suit was soaked in sweat and he looked like he was going to pass out. He hadn't gotten nearly as much sleep as she had, and was starting to feel faint.
"A-about f-five minutes..." he choked out breathlessly.
"Where's the office?"
"Just up the s-stree-"
He fell to the ground as his legs gave out out. He couldn't break his fall because he refused to let go of the papers in his hands. Sally winced and ran to his side, worry etched all over her face.
"Oh my god, Mister Skelington, are you all right?!"
He cracked open and eye and tried to smile.
"J-just... fine. I- I think this is the end of my journey, though. I don't know if I can go on."
Sally grabbed his hand. "Don't say that! We're so close!"
He shook his head morosely and sighed. "Sally, it's almost impossible for me to move. Just leave me and deliver the papers. The office is just over there..." he said pointing to a small office on the corner, just ahead.
She frowned determinedly and stuffed the papers down her shirt so she could grab a hold of him. She looped her hand under his armpits and pulled with all her strength to haul him to his feet. Putting his arm over her shoulder, she began to advance forward.
Jack was blown away by the amount of strength she was showing. He was not light, and he could she she was straining.
"There's no way I'm leaving you behind. Now come on, put your back into it!" she said tightly.
Jack nodded and forced his legs to carry him forward, inspired by Sally's will. It was no easy task. His limbs felt like lead.
But for Sally's sake, he ignored the pain and pressed onward.
With their combined effort, they kept racing against the clock to reach the office. It seemed so far to them. Two minutes left.
Sally tripped slightly and cost them several seconds. One minute and forty seconds left.
They had to wait for a car to pass. One minute and twenty seconds.
Jack dropped a paper. Fifty seconds.
They scrambled up the stairs. Thirty five seconds.
The burst through the door. Twenty seconds.
They ran down the hallway. Ten seconds.
Another door. Ten seconds.
There it was. The IRS agent at his desk at the other end of the room. Five seconds.
They put in one last burst of speed and ran across the ridiculously huge room. Three seconds. The agent looked up. Two seconds. Sally and Jack extended their arms forward. One second.
They both slapped the two stacks on the agent's desk and collapsed.
Zero.
They both let out a monumental sigh of relief and rolled onto their backs to stare up at the ceiling. Both of them felt all of the energy leave their bodies and they laid there like two deflated balloons.
The agent checked his watch and nodded solemnly. "Right on time, Mister Skelington. That was cutting it a bit close, though."
Jack just weakly nodded from his place on the floor and Sally blew a strand of hair off her face. The agent carefully organized the papers into a neat pile and retreated to the back room to file them. Jack watched him go and then turned to Sally.
He smiled thankfully at her. "Thank you, Sally. I couldn't have done this without you."
She blushed from his look of admiration and smiled guiltily. "You wouldn't have needed to do this if it wasn't for me." she added.
"True." he chuckled tiredly. "I'm glad I did, though."
"Me too." she agreed.
They both reached out to hold hands and relaxed into the plush carpet. The agent came back out of the back room with a notepad and pen.
"Mister Skelington, I just need you to sign- Wait, Mister Skellington? Hello?"
He looked over the desk hoping to get Jack's attention, but it was pointless. He and Sally were both deeply asleep.
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There was uproar at town hall when Jack and Sally turned up for work about four hours later.
Employees swarmed the two of them, badgering the pair with questions.
"Jack, you've never been late a day in your life, what happened? And why do you look like you've been put through a wood chipper?"
"What's this I've heard about your travels around town yesterday?"
"Who's your cute friend?"
Jack held up his hands for silence and everybody shut up. He put on a commanding yet firm voice and addressed the room.
"Everybody, this is my new assistant, Sally. She's going to be needing a desk in my office, so I want you to go out and find one."
Everybody's eyes turned to Sally, who blushed and hid behind Jack's back.
Somebody raised their voice, unhappy at the lack of answers they were getting. "But what about-"
Jack's eyes flashed dangerously and he snarled menacingly.
"Did I say talk? I thought I said to go find a desk."
A fearful shiver went through the crowd and the whining employee took a wary step back. Nobody moved out of fear.
"I said move it!" Jack snapped.
The crowd of people went running in all directions like a school of fish spooked by a shark. Sally gazed at Jack's power and respect over his employees. So mature and leader-like. She was still surprised at his ultimate coolness.
It only took several minutes for them to find a desk and have it placed in Jack's office. Some other employees also took the liberty of putting a mug full of pens and a lamp on her new desk. Sally's chair was pulled out for her and she was seated like a queen.
Each employee, under the omniscient eye of Jack, wished her good luck at her new job and then beat a hasty retreat. At last Sally and Jack were left alone.
Jack slowly smiled and walked over to Sally as she rubbed her desk in amazement.
"So." he ventured. "Is it everything you hoped it would be?"
She gave him a little smile but cast her eyes downward. "Yes... it's so nice, but..."
"Is something wrong? You don't have to work in my office if you don't want to." he said with a bit of hurt in his voice.
She looked up in shock and shook her head vigorously. "N-no! Of course not! It's just..." she blushed and looked down again. "... Something else has been on my mind."
Jack knitted his brows and leaned forward.
"What is it?"
She pushed her fingers together and muttered something quietly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." Jack said.
She looked up with an avid blush and met his eyes. "The kiss."
Jack froze and the blood rushed to his face as he remembered. The feel of her lips. The scent of her hair. The electricity and fire.
"O-oh. Right." he said weakly.
The stared at each other in an intense silence and no words were exchanged. Something needed to be said but neither one of them knew who should speak first. Jack was startled from his thoughts when Sally spoke first.
"D-did you enjoy it?" she asked quickly, then recoiled in fear of what his answer would be.
Jack felt his blush darken and spoke with complete honesty.
"Yes, I did."
Sally's eyes widened and she covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. Jack didn't know how to feel about that. He considered possibly leaving until she felt better. Then Sally's muffled voice came through her hands.
"I'm in love with you." she said quietly.
That simple statement shook Jack to his very core. Love. She loved him. Him.
She was trembling slightly, afraid he was going to be disgusted with her and kick her out. She had admitted it. She couldn't help it. It had been dying to get out.
But for god's sake, it had only been a day. He couldn't possibly feel the same for her after such a short time. She had blown it. Squandered any chance she had with him because of her damn romanticism.
He hadn't even said a word. He was just staring forward. Sally assumed it was because he was trying not to laugh at her childishness.
But, she was actually far from it. Jack was actually impressed and found it sort of... romantic.
He had always read tales of knights and princesses declaring their love after a day of courtship. And he loved books. And he was always striving to be like a knight.
And then, of course, this was Sally.
His trusted assistant. She was smart. She had his back. They had been through everything. And If he had to admit it, he really found her quite beautiful.
So he was by no means unhappy to hear her declaration. He even came to a slow realization as he stood there.
"I... I suppose I love you as well." he said cautiously, tasting the words on his tongue.
They were just words, but every syllable contained absolute truth. He did love her. He was in love with Sally.
And that brought a silly, crooked smile to his face. He loved her. He loved her. He couldn't stop repeating it to himself in his head.
Sally looked up from her hands and her radiant blush shined like the rising sun. fireworks were going off in her head, and her stomach did a flip. She stood up and walked over to him cautiously, afraid he was just messing with her.
She looked into his eyes and bit her lip. "You... you really mean it?"
He took a moment to look back at her and then spoke again, sure of his words. "I do."
Sally was too embarrassed to look at his face, incredulous of what was happening. Jack loved her. He returned her feelings. She felt a tear roll down her cheek that Jack couldn't see and she wiped it away.
She was too happy for words.
She looked back up at him and smiled shyly. Jack did the same. There was a comfortable silence. Nobody needed to speak. All of the mutual feelings were in buzzing through the air.
Sally blushed slightly and twisted her foot.
"So... does this mean that we can kiss whenever we want to?" she asked.
Jack rubbed his arm and coughed. "I guess so."
Another moment of silence.
"Do... do you want to do it now?"
Jack paused and then nodded slowly. "Um, yeah. I think I do."
Sally blushed and took a step forward to take his hand in hers. "Shall we retreat to that closet then?" she said, pointing to a broom closet.
"Let's." Jack agreed.
And for the rest of the day, anyone who passed by Jack and Sally's office might have sworn that they heard something that sounded suspiciously like kissing inside.
THE END.
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And there we go! That's it! We're clear!
Ahhhh... there is such a feeling of relief when I finish a story... especially one as long as this! To date, this is the longest story I have ever written and completed. I would like to honestly thank you guys for taking the time to read this. I really do. It means so much to open my account and see that someone reviewed, or favorited, or followed my story. I've been going through some depressing thoughts lately and is such a warm and inviting place to go. I'll be back soon with another story, I promise!
Eh- heeba-heeba-heeba-heebada, that's all folks!